Magnetic tool board



Sept. 7, 1965 c. R. BROWN ETAL MAGNETIC TOOL BOARD Filed Dec. 25, 1963 INVENTORS CHAQLE$ \2. Baouuu -Hmzev K. BEOLUN ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 3,204,776 MAGNETIC T001. BOARD Charles R. Brown, 190 Inn Road, and Harry K. Brown, 6021 Ranlyn Ave, both of Battle Creek, Mich. Filed Dec. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 333,274 5 Claims. (Cl. 21187) This patent application is a continuation-in-part of our co-pending patent application Ser. No. 117,362, filed June 15, 1961, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates broadly to boards having magnets and shelves mounted thereon, and more particularly to tool storage boards having shelf means in combination with magnetic means, which are adjustable relative to each other, for retaining tools in place on said board.

For a long period of time, it has been the common practice to hang tools along a wall back of a work-bench by fastening to such wall a board with nails projecting therefrom, and wherein said nails are arranged in a manner to properly support the tools. Such a tool board, of course, had to be custom made by the user with the nails placed so as to receive and support specific tools. Recently, this older type of tool board has begun to be replaced to a certain extent by what is commonly known as a Peg Board or perforated panel wherein the board or panel is provided with moderately closely spaced small holes therein located in regular straight line patterns, and in which holes wire hooks are inserted and booked at desired posit-ions for the purpose of supporting the tools. While this arrangement has the advantage of the shiftability of the hooks, there are undesired disadvantages in that ordinary single hooks can only be used with tools having holes for suspending them, or else special multiple hooks must be provided for specific tools, and moreover with the hooks being loose enough to be shifted, they are also loose enough to he accidentally knocked out of the holes with the result that they must be replaced, or if carrying tools the latter also fall off the board and must be replaced along with the hooks.

During the past few years, there has been proposed a patented tool holder which utilizes two fixed position long horizontal bar magnets as the sole holding means for the tools. While such a tool holder is theoretically useful, it is apparent that very strong magnets are necessary, and there is still the possibility, under the effect of vibrations caused, for instance, by passing traffic, of the tools sliding vertically relative to the magnets and getting out of place or even dropping off when accidentally bumped, as Well as under extreme conditions of shock or vibration. Knife and paint brush holders having a wall panel with a single fixed outwardly extending bottom shelf portion and permanently fixed location magnets on the wall panel above said shelf having been proposed but are of limited usefulness in view of their non-adjustability to fit and hold varying size knives or paint brushes. It was a recognition of the problem involved and a complete lack of a thoroughly satisfactory commercial solution to same which led to the conception and development of the present invention.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a new type of tool board involving the use of magnets and a shelf or shelves below same, with said magnets and shelf or shelves being adjustably movable relative to each other, and wherein the tool or tools are primarily supported against vertical movement by said shelf or shelves while said magnets hold the tools upright in manner utilizing the full holding power of the magnets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a nove tool board or the like which has a front panel with a multiplicity of magnets secured thereon and preferably ice projecting from the front face of said panel sufiiciently to facilitate grasping said tools for removal, and vertically adjustable forwardly projecting shelves below said magnets to facilitate receiving and supporting the bottom of various sizes and lengths of tools or the like having magnetically grippable portions.

Another objectis to provide, not only a tool board with a front panel for adjustably receiving tools or the ike, but one with readily shiftable magnets to accommodate receiving and holding various sizes and lengths of ferrous metal tools, the bottom of which are supported on shelves below said magnets.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel tool-holding board which utilizes magnets as the holding force, the board being formed with a front panel of a non-magnetic material, such as a thin fiberboard, plastic, or aluminum sheet, and there being adhesively or otherwise secured to the rear of said sheet, suitable small :magnets, the sheet being provided with vertical slots and shelves adjustably secured to the front of said sheet by means of fasteners extending through said slots.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel tool-holding board having vertical slots with quick adjustable position magnets movable lengthwise of said slots to accommodate the handling of various sizes and lengths of tools or the like having magnetically grippable portions.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel tool-holding board wherein the board is provided with magnets for engaging upper portions of ferrous metal portions of tools or the like to prevent the movement of the tools or the like away from the plane of the board, and the board has projecting from the front of same, below said magnets, a shelf supporting the bottom of said tools to prevent vertical sliding movement of same, the board having vertical slots therein with offset portions, and the shelf being provided with shouldered rivet type fasteners engageable in and held by the offset portions of said slots, whereby the shelves may be readily vertically adjusted and fixedly supported after adjustment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool board or the like having a non-ferrous front panel and a back panel parallel to said front panel but spaced a short distance from same with the back portion of adjustable tool supporting members fitting between said panels in cooperation with same and movable substantially vertically along slots in said front panel, and holdab'le by the latter, to readily meet the requirements for handling various sizes and lengths of tools or the like.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel magnetic tool board wherein the board is provided with a forwardly projecting shelf for suitably supporting the lower portion of a ferrous metal tool so as to prevent the tool from moving vertically, and the board having secured primarily to the rear surface thereof a magnet disposed above the plane of the shelf and adapted to engage the upper portion of a tool to prevent the movement of the tool, by itself, away from the plane of the board, the magnet being mounted in and projecting out of a slot in the board for vertical adjustment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel magnetic tool board which includes shelves and magnets disposed in cooperating relation wherein the magnets hold the upper portion of the tools adjacent the front :surface of the board to prevent movement of the tools, by themselves, out of the general plane of the board, and at least one shelf on the face of the tool board underlying the magnets for engaging and supporting the lower ends of the tools to thus prevent vertical sliding movement of the tools on the board, both the magnets and the shelves having means adjustably mounting the same on the board wherein the magnets and shelves can be adjusted relative to each other to accommodate the desired tools to be supported by the board.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but several of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the magnetic tool board of the present invention mounted on a wall, said board showing tools in phantom lines supported thereon.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view as taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows specific details of the magnetic tool board, including the specific manner in which the tool is supported thereby.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a tool board similar to FIGURE 1, wherein a modified means is provided for vertically adjusting and supporting the shelf.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View as taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows further details of the tool board and shelf vertically adjustable thereon.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slightly modified form of tool board assembly having a backwardly spaced rear panel, and shows the general arrangement of a shelf and associated adjustable position magnets.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view as taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows the specific manner in which a forwardly projecting magnet of the tool board is mounted between panels so as to be vertically adjustable.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified means for adjustably mounting a forwardly projecting magnet on a tool board.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view as taken along the line 88 of FIGURE 7, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows the specific details of mounting the magnet for vertical adjustment on a tool board.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 a first form of magnetic tool board which is generally referred to by the numeral 10. The magnetic tool board 10 includes a front panel or board 11 which is preferably formed of a thin material having no magnetic properties of any kind and which for simplicity will be referred to as being non-magnetic, such as fiberboard, plastic, plywood or .metal such as copper, magnesium or aluminum. The

side edges of the board 11 are provided with rearwardly directed flanges 12, which, in turn, terminate in outwardly directed mounting flanges 13. The flanges 13 are provided with suitable openings 14, preferably in the form of bayonet or keyhole slots, for the reception of fasteners 15 whereby the board 11 is removably mounted on a wall 16.

The board 11, FIGURE 1, is preferably provided with a multiplicity of vertically extending slots 17 or the equivalent. The slots 17 may be in any desired arrangement, with the arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 1 being only one typical form of same. Such slots 17 may be individually arranged or arranged in pairs, depending upon the particular requirements. Associated with one or more of the slots 17 is a shelf 18. Each of the shelves 18 may be formed from an angle member which includes a vertical flange 19 and a substantially horizontal or even upwardly inclined outer edge flange 20, and it is intended that the drawing be considered as diagrammatically illustrating same. The upper surface of the flange 20 is preferably roughened, grooved, or even provided with depressions or recesses at 21, which is to be considered as diagrammatically illustrating same. This roughening, or other tool stabilizing means, may be built into the upper surface of the flange 20 or may be in the form of an additional layer of material, such as rubber. Of course, however, the upper surface of the flange 20 could be smooth, if desired.

Each of the shelves 18, FIGURES 1 and 2, is supported in a vertically adjusted position by means of a fastener which includes a bolt 22 having a head 23 of the carriage bolt type with suitable shallow squared underhead portion for positioning in an associated slot 17 so that the bolt'is maintained against rotation while being tightened to fasten shelf 18 in place. A wing nut 24 is carried by each bolt 22 and serves to clamp the vertical flange 19 of the associated shelf 18 against the front surface of the board 11.

The magnetic tool board 10 also includes a multiplicity of magnets 25 of any suitable type, fixed, movable, or even with movable heads to better fit against the tool or other article to be held by same, and it is intended that the drawing be considered as diagrammatically illustrating same. As is best shown in FIGURE 1, the magnets 25 here illustrated are of the small fixed position button type, although they may be of any other desired type depending upon the holding requirements of the magnetic tool board 10. The magnets 25, in this form of the invention, are secured to the rear surface of the board 11 by means of a suitable adhesive 26, as shown in FIGURE 2. As is best illustrated in FIGURE 1, the arrangement of the magnets 25 may be in any desired pattern with respect to the shelves 18 so as to properly engage the uppe ends of ferrous metal tools, such as the tools 27 and 28 illustrated in phantom lines in FIGURES l and 2. The adjustability of the shelves 18 relative to the magnets makes the assembly versatile in use.

It is to be noted that when a toolis supported by the tool board 10, FIGURES 1 and 2, the ferrous metal tool, or article having a ferrous metal portion to be magnetically gripped, is not held in place on the board solely :by the holding power of the magnets 25. The magnets 25 are so arranged that the lower end of each tool rests upon an associated shelf 18 and is thus supported and held against vertical movement by the shelf 18. The associated magnet 25 reacts on the upper part of the tool and prevents the same from freely moving sidewise as well as outwardly away from the surface of the board 11. Thus, the holding power of the magnet, in accordance with the present invention, need only be of sufficient strength to prevent the normal movement of the supported tool sidewise as well as away from the surface of the board 11.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 3 and 4 wherein there is illustrated a modified means for supporting one of the shelves 18. In lieu of the bolt 2 and the wing nut 24, of FIGURES 1 and 2, the shelf 18 is provided with a rivet-like fastener, generally referred to by the numeral 29. Each of the fasteners 29, which are of the shouldered type, include-s a large diameter rear head 30 and a smaller diameter front head 31, with the two heads 30 and 31 being connected together by a shank 32 which has a shoulder portion which will slidably fit slot 33 and olfset portion 35 but which is larger than the opening in shelf18 to which it is fastened by head 31. The fasteners 29 .are permanently carried by the vertical flange 19 of the shelf 18 and in the form of shelf illustrated, two fasteners are provided. Since there is no true clamping action of the fasteners 29 on panel 11, two fasteners, and two slots in the panel for same to slide in, will be required for each of the shelves 18.

As is best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the front panel or board 11 is provided with parallel pairs of substantially vertical slots 33. Each of the slots 33 is provided at the lower end thereof with a large diameter opening 34 of a size to pass the head 30 of suitably spaced fasteners 29, whereby the fasteners may be initially engaged with the front panel or board 11. In addition, each of the slots 33 is provided with one or more inverted L-shaped offset portions 35 as shown. It is in these olfset portions 35 that the fasteners 29 are engaged in shelfsupporting positions. When it is desired to vertically adjust the shelf 18, it is merely necessary to move the shelf 18 first vertically in said offset portions 35 and then horizontally to the right, as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 3, until the shanks 32 of the fasteners 29 enter into the vertical slots 33, after which the shelf 18 may be vertically adjusted with the fasteners 29 being positioned, after adjustment, in others of the offset portions 35. It is to be understood that the vertical adjusting means for the shelf 18 shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 may be incorporated in the magnetic tool board of FIGURE 1, as well as in the tool board 36 of FIGURE 5, and it is intended that the showing in those figures be considered as diagrammatically including same.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 5 and 6 wherein there is illustrated a slightly modified form of magnetic tool board which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 36. The magnetic tool board 36 includes a front panel or board 11 which has secured to the flanges 13 thereof a rear panel 37. The magnetic tool board 36 may be mounted on a wall in the manner illustrated in FIG- URE l, or by direct attachment of the rear panel 37 to the wall.

For purposes of simplicity but not limitation, the mag netic tool board 36 is illustrated as having a shelf 33 fixedly secured to the front surface of the board 11. However, the shelf 38 may be vertically adjustably mounted in various ways such as in the manner illustrated in FIGURES l and 3, and it is intended that the showing be considered as diagrammatically illustrating same. The board 11 is provided with a multiplicity of vertically extending slots 39 above the shelf 38. Each of the slots 39 is provided with a multiplicity of transverse portions 40 which are vertically spaced and which extend in alinement from the opposite sides of the main slot 39, and also in alinement with the transverse portions 40 of the adjacent slot 39.

A magnet 41, FIGURES 5 and 6, is associated with each of the slots 39, and each such magnet 41 is provided at the upper and lower ends thereof with forwardly proi jecting bars 42. These bars 42 project through corresponding transverse portions 40 of the slot 39 to prevent vertical movement of the magnet 41 and at the same time hold a supported tool far enough away from front panel 11 to facilitate taking hold of a tool to be removed therefrom. A leaf spring 43, FIGURE 6, is secured to the rear surface of the magnet 41 and bears against the front face of rear panel 37 to normally hold bars 42 in projected position. Thus, the bars 42 are held in the transverse portions 40 of the slots 39, but can be momentarily rearwardly retracted by compressing spring 43 to permit the vertical adjustment of the magnet 41 to another position in the slot 39 with bars 42 projecting out of corresponding cross slots 40.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 7 and 8, wherein there is illustrated another way of mounting a magnet so as to be vertically adjustable. The board 11 is provided with a vertical slot 44 of any desired length and the associated magnet 45 is provided at the upper and lower ends thereof with forwardly projecting magnetic bars 46 which extend a substantial distance through the slot 44 and which prevent transverse movement of the magnet 45 with respect to the board 11. In addition to passing through the slot 44, the end of bars 46 stand out from the front face of board 11 to space the supported tools from same for case of removing the tools from the board. Said bars 46 also pass through suitable openings in a plate 47 which is behind board 11 and has a width greater than the width of the slot 44. The plate 47 bears against the front surface of the body portion of magnet 45 and thus prevents the magnet 45 from being pulled through the slot 44. A small cross-bar 48, extending transversely of slot 44, is secured to the central portion of the magnet 45 by means of a fastener 49, which is preferably of the screw threaded type and is threaded into the magnet 45, as shown in FIGURE 8. The fastener 49 serves to secure the crossbar 48 in clamping engagement with the front face of the front panel or board 11 to hold the magnet 45 against the rear surface of the board 11 in a vertically adjustable position. When it is desired to vertically adjust the magnet 45, the fastener 49 is loosened and the magnet is vertically adjusted, after which the fastener 49 is again tightened. On the other hand, when it is desired to remove or install the magnet 45 in slot 44, the cross-bar 48 is merely rotated to a vertical position, in which position it can be readily passed through the slot 44.

Although the various adjusting means for the magnets and the shelves have been separately illustrated, to avoid undesired repetition, it is to beunderstood that any combination of fixed and adjustable magnets and fixed and adjustable shelves may be incorporated in a single magnetic tool board so long as said magnets and shelves are adjustable relative to each other. Also, while the magnets have been illustrated as being of the permanent magnet type, it is feasible to utilize electromagnets in accordance with this invention.

From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that there has been devised a simplified, low-cost, and highly desirable magnetic tool board wherein said magnets and shelves may be adjusted relative to each other to handle various size tools, and which board will full and properly support tools with smaller magnets than would be otherwise required. While several modifications of the tool 'board have been illustrated, additional minor modifications may be made Within the spirit and scope of the invention as herein illustrated and described without departing from same.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employed instead of those explained, change being made as regards the storage device and the combinations thereof as herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. A magnetic tool board comprising a board having a front panel with at least one shelf thereon, at least one magnet carried by said board above said shelf, and wherein at least one of said shelf and said magnet is vertically movable relative to the other on said board, said board having a generally upright slot in the front panel thereof, with said magnet having means extending through said slot of said front panel and transversely locating said magnet, and means connected to said magnet for retaining same in a vertically adjusted position.

2. A magnetic tool board comprising a board having a front panel with at least one shelf thereon, at least one magnet carried by said board above said shelf, and wherein at least one of said shelf and said magnet is vertically movable relative to the other on said board, said board having a generally upright slot in the front panel there-of, with said magnet having means extending through said slot of said front panel and transversely locating said magnet, means connected to said magnet for retaining same in a vertically adjusted position, said means connected to said magnet including a cross-bar engaging the front face of said board, and a fastener carried by said cross-bar threaded into said magnet.

3. A magnetic tool board comprising a board having a front panel with at least one shelf thereon, at least one magnet carried by said board above said shelf, wherein at least one of said shelf and said magnet is vertically movable relative to the other on said board, said board having a generally upright slot in the front panel thereof, said board having vertically spaced transverse extensionsof said slot, and said magnet having a pair of spaced forwardly extending bars extending through said transverse slot extensions and which retain said magnet against vertical movement.

4. A magnetic tool board comprising a board having a front panel with at least one shelf thereon, at least one magnet carried by said board above said shelf, wherein at least one of said shelf and said magnet is vertically movable relative to the other on said board, said board having a generally upright slot in the front panel thereof, said board having vertically spaced transverse extensions of said slot, said magnet having a pair of spaced forwardly extending bars extending through said transverse slot extensions and which retain said magnet against vertical movement, said board further having a backing spaced rearwardly of the front panel thereof, and spring means on said magnet engaging said backing and resisting rearward movement of said bars out of said transverse slot extensions.

5. A vertical storage device for temporarily storing items formed at least in part of magnetically attractable material, said device having provision for ready and immediate removal of such items being stored, which comprises a perforated vertical front panel and a rear panel attached thereto and spaced a short distance therefrom, means for attaching said front and rear panel combination to a supporting structure, at least one shelf member releasably coupled to said vertical front panel, said shelf member having article stabilizing means on its upper face and beingarranged in a generally horizontal plane but with its front edge moderately tilted upward when said panel isvertically disposed, a multiplicity of permanent magnets carried by said panel in anelevated positionabove said shelf member and projecting forwardly from same, whereby saidshelf member and said permanent magnets cooperate to: support elongated items in storage, and means including means extending through said perforations, with the latter being releasably fastenable therein for selectively supportingsaid shelf member and said permanent magnets on said panel in any of a multiplicity of positive predetermined location positions thus providing variable position relative spacing of one from the other to accommodate the storage of items of different sizes, said means for mounting said shelf and magnets extending into the space between said front and rear panels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,315,524. 9/19 Mittleburg 108-111 2,019,826 11/35 McKee 2-1150 2,457,032 12/48 Case 21189 2,502,261: 3/50 Irwin 108-61 2,5 10,648 6/50 Mcholy-Nagy 3,17159 2,747,501 5/56 Latimer 101--114 2,954,874 10/60 Rouse 211-13 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAGNETIC TOOL BOARD COMPRISING A BOARD HAVING A FRONT PANEL WITH AT LEAST ONE SHELF THEREON, AT LEAST ONE MAGNET CARRIED BY SAID BOARD ABOVE SAID SHELF, AND WHEREIN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SHELF AND SAID MAGNET IS VERITICALLY MOVABLE RELATIVE TO THE OTHER ON SAID BOARD, SAID BOARD HAVING A GENERALLY UPRIGHT SLOT IN THE FRONT PANEL THEREOF, WITH SAID MAGNET HAVING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT OF SAID FRONT PANEL AND TRANSVERSELY LOCATING SAID MAGNET, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MAGNET FOR RETAINING SAME IN A VERTICALLY ADJUSTED POSITION. 